Synopsis:
Year 2036 – 14 years after the spread of Joy caused so much pain, Jade Wesker fights for survival in a world overrun by the blood-thirsty infected and mind-shattering creatures. In this absolute carnage, Jade is haunted by her past in New Raccoon City, by her father’s chilling connections to the sinister Umbrella Corporation but mostly by what happened to her sister, Billie.
1996 to infinity. At least that’s how the Resident Evil universe is looking right about now. From nine core video games, books, multiple films, and now a television series, it’s safe to say that this franchise isn’t stopping anytime soon. With plenty more stories to tell and angles to explore, the future looks bright—dystopian, but bright.
“The world ended a long time ago.”
Welcome to New Raccoon City. The air is cleaner, all the houses look alike, and death and destruction comes in a little red pill. Created by Andrew Dabb, the new Netflix series Resident Evil breathes new life into the 26-year-old sci-fi horror franchise. Taking place in two different years, 2022 in South Africa and 2036 in multiple places, this is a layered story with surprisingly layered characters. This series stays true to the horror, action, and sci-fi elements that we are used to, however, its story-driven plot also makes way for great in-depth character development. It’s almost as if this franchise was always meant to be episodic. Nevertheless, the action and horror are ramped up in each episode. We get to see how sinister and ruthless the Umbrella Corporation can really be. While storytelling is one of its greatest attributes, its interwoven narrative leaves an abundance of room for the future as well as questions you’ll have about what took place between past and present timelines. While it doesn’t rely on nostalgia or flashbacks, there are plenty of easter eggs and nods to video games and films of the past. In fact, this series blends the two together which makes for a cohesive diabolical T-virus-infused journey.
“There’s, what, 300 million people left on this planet?”
The show begins in 2036 with our main protagonist, Jade. Now, with how the story is told, 2036 is the present and also resides on the brink of humanity and civilization. The world is now at the intersection of understanding the present as well as preserving the past and extinction with the Umbrella Corporation watching it all burn. Jade is a scientist studying the evolution of Zeros which are beings who carry and spread the T-virus. Can it be stopped? Does it evolve? How long before it takes out the last of our species? Not only is she important because of the work she is doing, but she is on Umbrella’s most wanted list. As the story begins to take us back to 2022, we begin to understand who Jade is, who she is related to, and why she eventually plays such a pivotal role. 2022 is where the show really begins to unfold. Immediately, we are introduced to New Raccoon City and the Wesker family. The family consists of Albert Wesker and his twin daughters who are not too thrilled to be in a new place. It’s then not too long before we meet Evelyn Marcus and an abundance of Umbrella Corporation lies, secrets, cover-ups, negligence, and power. As the twins begin to rebel in 2022 and attempt to discover what their father and Umbrella are hiding, in 2036, Jade is on the run from the sinister corporation as she tries to return to her family without exposing their hidden location while also trying to dodge Zeros, different factions, and mutated animals.
“You play with Umbrella, you lose.”
Flowing back and forth from pre to post-doomsday, the story unfolds rapidly as it has a stranglehold on your attention from the beginning to the end of each of the 8 episodes. What stands out the most for me are the arcs of each character. No one ends the season the way that they began it. Each person we encounter isn’t exactly as they seem to be, making them more grounded characters than we’ve seen previously. Especially because no one has mutated superhuman abilities, well, almost no one. Wait until you see who I like to call, Blade-Bert. Anyway, even while it seems as if it is easy to clearly point out who is a villain and who is not, most of the motives for their actions live somewhere in the grey. Yes, some actions are driven by greed, malice, or hubris, but it’s not all that simple. You end up asking yourself, would I do that to stay alive? Would I still hold that grudge? Would I sacrifice myself? Would I want revenge? Should I keep that a secret? Those questions and many more come to mind as the series does a fantastic job of putting you in the shoes of these characters. Moreover, as fleshed out as the characters are and as concise as the storyline is, it leaves much to be desired—intentionally. If there is going to be a season 2, and suspect there will be, there is an abundance of plot still waiting to be traversed.
“You and me, right?”
There’s action within the first five minutes of episode one that sets the tone for the rest of the season. There are twists and surprises that you don’t see coming, and some scares that might have you jumping in your seat. The performances are great. There’s fire, intensity, teenage love, and plenty of angst to top it off. Also, there’s a dark side to almost everyone. The CGI may not be perfect but it exceeds expectations. The action is cinematic and plentiful and pairs very nicely with the Deadmau5 music production. Resident Evil is bloody, gritty, and menacing, but also has its touching moments that are centered around family. I really enjoyed this season. The stakes are high and so is the body count. If you’re a longtime fan of the franchise or new to it all, I think you’re going to enjoy what you see. Its rewatchability is high.
Favorite Episodes
I enjoyed this series a great more than I expected which means, I have a bunch of favorite episodes. I could’ve picked them all, but that’s too easy. So, I landed on episodes 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7.
Episode 1: Welcome to New Raccoon City as I said previously, sets the tone for the entire season. It does a phenomenal job of explaining exactly what is going on, who is who, and makes you begin to question things.
Episode 3: The Light begins to provide more backstory to some key players as things begin to ramp up. Also, 2036 starts to get really terrifying as something giant is lurking.
Episode 4: The Turn we learn about one of the factions that people have broken off into. Body parts are eaten as well as exploded and there is an unexpected badass who Jade encounters. Not to mention, there is a big reveal.
Episode 5: Home Movies is when everything changes in 2022 and 2036.
Episode 7: Parasite is where you see Blade-Bert that I mentioned earlier. A past is uncovered, a chemical is tested and an unexpected visitor makes a stand in 2036.
Final Thoughts
First off, I immensely enjoyed this series. It thrilled me and most importantly, it left me wanting more. I have so many questions and the only way they can be answered is if the show gets a season two. I really enjoyed the performance of Paola Nuñez as Evelyn Marcus. Not only is she intimidating and powerful, but she has something to prove and that makes her even more terrifying. Tamara Smart and Siena Agudong as young Jade and Billie, respectively, deliver some of the most impassioned performances of the show. Lance Reddick as Albert Wesker is secretive and aloof, but when he needs to, he is a force to be reckoned with. Ella Balinska as adult Jade is great and showcased that you don’t need powers to kick some ass. She exemplifies the hero spirit but makes selfish mistakes along the way. And lastly, Adeline Rudolph as adult Billie is as ruthless as they come.
Resident Evil premieres on Netflix on July 14, 2022. Stay safe and enjoy.
Rated: TV-MA
Runtime: 8 episodes 1h per
Showrunner: Andrew Dabb
Writers: Andrew Dabb, Mary Leah Sutton
Cast: Lance Reddick, Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph, Paola Nuñez, Ahad Raza Mir, Connor Gosatti, Turlough Convery
Executive Producers: Andrew Dabb, Mary Leah Sutton
Soundtrack Artist: Deadmau5
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIdjcDTc9Vk]
This series is a refreshing addition to the Resident Evil franchise, It's filled with the action, sci-fi, and horror that we love. Even with a more grounded storyline and characters, it hits (or bites) just as hard.
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GVN Rating
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
